Preliminary estimates indicate capital expenditure requirement in the range of Rs.1.25 Cr/MW to Rs.1.5 Cr/MW, i.e about 20-25 per cent of the capital cost of a coal based power plant. Considering the above estimates, the total outlay involved could be about Rs.2.5 lakh crores.

Economically, it involves some cost, but we have to link it to, what you have brought up, the social cost-benefit analysis. Health cost is for real. There is no that level of awareness in India, as to what the real health cost is. It includes hospitalisation cost, health cost, productivity cost, if you do not go to work etc.

Coal plays an essential role in our global energy mix, particularly in India and the developing world through electricity generation. This fossil fuel has gained prominence due to its availability in abundance in the bowels of earth, lack of disastrous impact like nuclear plants do, and favourable economics it continues to enjoy in power generation

Given the fact that a significant quantity of coal will continue to dominate India´s energy generation, energy efficiency becomes vital. As per the thumb rule: higher efficiency in the generation of electricity means, lower consumption of coal per unit of electricity generated.

Incorporated in 1973, Coal India Ltd (CIL) is a ´Maharatna´ company under the Ministry of Coal (MoC), Government of India (GoI), and is the single largest coal producing company in the world with reserves of 65 billion tonne.

A number of players in the balance of plant (BoP) sector, who had a phenomenal order intake in the past several years, are currently reeling under tremendous working capital stretch because of stuck inventory and huge receivables.

With the Indian coal sector sensing a fillip after the recent coal auctions, it is now time for its allied industries to gear up for some action. One of the prime movers-coal and ash handling systems-are likely to gain from the current happenings.

The government is of the opinion that the productivity of coal mines owned by independent coal miners is inefficient despite access to the latest equipment as well as capital resources. Whereas production from mines